Russia attacked a border crossing point in Odesa region: drones flew into Moldova and Romania
Russian troops attacked the south of Odesa region near the border with Moldova with drones on the night of August 20. One of the Shaheds hit a facility near the international border crossing point "Reni - Giurgiulesti". That same night, the military of Moldova and Romania recorded violations of their airspace by drones.
According to the Izmail District State Administration, the territory of the Reni community came under attack. Russian troops used Shahed-136 drones.
The hit was recorded on a facility located near the international border crossing point "Reni - Giurgiulesti". After the attack, fires broke out and were completely extinguished. There were no casualties.
Reni is located directly near the Moldovan border and the important transport hub of Giurgiulesti. Automobile and railway routes between Ukraine, Moldova and Romania pass through this area.
Drone flew from the Reni area into Moldova
Almost simultaneously, a target was detected by the military of Moldova. According to the country's Ministry of Defense, surveillance systems detected an unauthorized flight at 03:16.
According to preliminary assessment by the Moldovan side, it was a Shahed-136 (Geran-2). The drone crossed the border from Ukraine in the area of the settlement of Kotlovina, Reni district, and flew towards the village of Etulia in Gagauzia.
At 03:22, the drone left the airspace of Moldova and returned towards Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense of Moldova directly linked the incident with the night Russian air strikes on Ukraine.
At the same time, official reports do not provide grounds to assert that the drone that violated the airspace of Moldova was the same aircraft that hit the facility near the border crossing point "Reni - Giurgiulesti".
Another drone fell in Romania
The night was also restless on the Romanian side of the border. At 02:23, radars of the Romanian Ministry of National Defense detected a group of air targets near Ukraine.
To control the situation, two F-18 fighters of the Spanish Air and Space Force were scrambled. A Romanian IAR-330 SOCAT helicopter also flew for reconnaissance. The population was warned via the RO-Alert system.
At 03:21, a drone entered Romanian airspace approximately 13 km east of the city of Galati. Three minutes later, the helicopter crew reported the crash of the aircraft approximately 4 km northeast of the village of Grindu in Tulcea county.
The drone fell in an uninhabited area. After hitting the ground, a fire broke out and extinguished itself. Romanian authorities recorded no deaths, injuries, or material damage. Military personnel were sent to the crash site to secure and inspect the area.
Thus, during one night, the Russian attack covered the border area of Odesa region, and drones were detected in the airspace of two neighboring states. At present, there is no official confirmation that the episodes in Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania are related to the movement of the same drone.
Sources: Izmail District State Administration, Ministry of Defense of Moldova, Ministry of National Defense of Romania
